Unitary combat mess-kit



Nov. 26, 1957 T. R. THAx-roN, .JR

UNITARY COMBAT MEss-KIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1954 |||II||.IJlllllllul ATTORNEY ,fore employed have not been of UNITARY COMBATMESS-KIT rihomas Roy Thaxton, Jr., Miami, Fla. Application May 6, 1954,Serial No. 427,905 11 Claims. (Cl. 206-4) This invention relates to aunitary combat mess-kit which combines the conventional meat can or panand meat can cover ordinarily carried in the pack on the back with thecanteen and canteen cup ordinarily carried in a cover attachable to theweb belts of troops so as to rest on the hip.

Heretofore, over a long period of years, members of the armed services,especially ground troops, have been equipped in the field with a pack inwhich a number of essential articles are carried, as on maneuvers andinto combat. Considerations of weight and space limit the articles whichcan be carried in such pack, and also in combat, tactical and logisticalconsiderations enter, as for instance, the amount of extra ammunitionwhich may be carried in the pack along with items such as toiletarticles and rations. Of necessity the meat can or pan heretofore used,together with its lid, and with the knife, fork, and spoon enclosedinside of the assembled can and lid, have had to be carried in the pack,as it has not heretofore been visualized to combine these items With thecanteen and cup carried on the hip. When the assembled can and lid havebeen carried in the pack, the enclosed space Within such assembled canand lid has not well been utilized except for the small amount employedin storing the knife, fork, and spoon, and such unutilized space hasbeen a dead loss in eiciency and has constituted a limitation uponotherdesired articles which might well and eciently have been stored inthe pack.

Other objections to the pack carriage of the assembled meat can and lidwith knife, fork, and spoon enclosed have been interposed of a morefatal nature in that troops in combat often discard these items toprovide additional space for ammunition, and on occasion the sheen orglare of sunlight on such discarded items during daylight has given awaytroop positions to the enemy. Also, when not discarded, the rattle ofthe knife, fork, and spoon in the assembled can and lid has given awaytroop position at night.

At the same time, the canteen and canteen cup heretorectangularcross-section, but an indentation has been made in both articlespresumably to it the curvature of the hip of the wearer.

The Conventional mess-kit has also included additional disadvantages inthat the handle for the meat can cover is pivotally connected to themeat can to extend coaxially with the longitudinal axis of the can. Inusage, the conventional lid has a ring therein which is inserted overthe outer end of the handle so that the lid'rests upon the handle, `andthus the handle also extends co-axially with the longitudinal axis or"the lid. In this awkwardly arranged position men in the field bringtheir meat can and lid to vhave food served therein, with the resultthat frequent spillage occurs.

Also, the knife heretofore furnished has been of such a size andconstruction as to lit within the assembled meat can and lid and haslacked the length and temper to serve as a weapon or for any otherpurpose than for a ice s knife to be used in cutting food. Thus, it hasbeen necessary to furnish on occasion additional knives and scabbardstherefor to be carried separately on the web belt of the tighter asweapons.

This invention sets out to avoid the objections above enumerated andother objections which have been interposed against the mess-kit whichhas been employed since Worid War l, or theretofore, and has severalobjects by which denite improvements over such conventional messkits areaccomplished.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a mess-kit whichcombines the canteen and canteen cup assembly within a hinged meat cansection assembly which ysurrounds the canteen land cup in a manner topermit the assembled articles to be carried as a unit within a coverattachable to the web belt of the fighter to rest upon the hip.

It is another object of this invention to provide a handle for the meatcan sections which is foldable in assembly and Which is latchable inusage to extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the meat cansections to thereby provide a rm handle therefor so that such sectionsmay be held in usage in a manner to avoid spillage.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide ymeans foryclasping the outer ends of the meat can sections around the neck of thecanteen in a manner to permit the removal of the assembled canteen cupand meat can sections together While the canteen top is removed topermit drinking from the canteen.

It is also another object of this invention to provide a icover for suchassembly which may receive the spoon and fork in interior pockets whileproviding an exterior vscabbard to receive a knife serviceable to cutfood and also serviceable as a combatknife.

It is yet a further object of this a mess-kit of this class in Whch themeat can sectons surround the canteen in a manner to insulate thecontents of the canteen against theloss of heat or coolness.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a mess-kitassembly of this class in which the assembled units are of substantiallyrectangular cross-section while occupying substantially less space thanthe conventional, separately assembled meat can and canteen units, whileat the same time providing more canteen capacity than is provided by theconventionally employed canteen.

Other and further objects will be apparent when the hereinbelowdescription is considered in connection with the drawings in which:

Fig. l is an exploded elevational View, part-in-section, of cup,canteen, and meat can.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the canteen, and a sectional elevation of thecup, with the meat can assembled therearound.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the meat can.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the canteen cup, with the handle folded aswhen not extended for use.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the canteen cup shown in Fig. 4, with thehandle shown extended in position for use.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the assembly of Fig. 2 enclosed in a cover,such elevational view being taken at from the position of Fig. 2. Fig. 7is a plan view of Fig. 6 with the canteen top removed.

Fig. 8 is an elevation the cover opened.

Fig. 9 is `a perspective view of the assembly of Fig. 6, showing theknife and scabbard.

Fig. 10 is an elevation taken along line litlil of Fig.3.

The central items to be assembled in this invention are shown in Fig. 1and include the food pan or can lil, the

invention to provide of the assembly of Fig. 6 with canteen 12, and thecanteen cup 14 into which the lower part of the canteen 12 is insertedin assembly.

The canteen cup 14 has the brackets 15 thereon. When the handle 16 isextended as shown in Fig. 5, the extensions 17 of the cup handle latch1S are received within the brackets 15, the latch 18 being slidablymounted on the cup handle 16 by means of the keeper wings 19 which arere-curved to extend around the handle to provide guide slots. The handle16 is hinged at 20 and is of a shape to [it around the bottom of the`cup when folded as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The cup 14 is of rectangular cross-section and the lower part of thecanteen 12 is of rectangular cross-section to tit therein. Above the cup14 the canteen 12 is tapered to a smaller rectangular cross-section at21 and has a neck 22 thereabove which is threaded to receive a threadedcap 23 thereon. A chain 24 is connected to the top of the cap 23 at oneend and at the other end to a loop 25, and the chain is of a length topermit the cap 23 to be unthreaded from the neck 22 withoutinterference.

The can or pan 11 is comprised of two trough sections 26 which are hingeconnected at adjacent ends 27 by means of the hinge 28. Theopposite ends29 of the trough sections are arched and centrally thereof have indentedilanges 30 of arcuate or semi-cylindrical shape to tit around the neck22 of the canteen 12 below the cap 23 where the trough sections 26 arefolded into upper edge Contact at 31 as shown in Figs. l and 7. To latchthe sections in this position, a spring or keeper band 32 is pivotallyconnected at one end to a trough section 26 and releasa-bly connectedthereto at the other end and extends around the flanges 30 below the cap23. As the chain 24 must extend through the trough sections 26 when theyare in folded position, these sections are grooved at 26' to permit thisclearance in assembly, as shown in Fig. 6.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a handle portion 33 is rigidly connected toone trough section 26 and supports the hinge 34 outwardly of the sides37 of the trough sections. The grip portion 36 of the handle 35 isconnected to the portion 33 of the handle 35 and in folded positionrests as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 against the side 37 of a troughsection. A sleeve 38 is slidably mounted on the grip portion 36 `and hasthe hole 39 therein, while the grip portion 36 has the hole 40 therein.A latch pin 4l is provided in the side 37 of the trough section 26 andhas the head 42 thereon and when the sleeve 38 is slid upon the gripportion 36 to bring the holes 39 and 40 in coincidence the grip portion36 may be pivoted upon the hinge 34 against the side 37 so that thesleeve 38 and grip portion 36 may pass over the head 42 and around thepin 41. Then the sleeve 38 may be slid upon the grip portion 36 as theslot 43 slides around the pin 41, and in this position the head 42 bearsupon the sleeve surface and the sleeve 38 and grip portion 36 arelatched to the side 37 of the trough section 26.

When it is desired to unlatch the sleeve and grip portion, the sleeve 38is slid to bring the hole 39 in coincidence with the grip portion hole40 and the grip portion with sleeve thereon may be pivoted on the hinge34 to the full line position shown in Fig. 3. When in such posi-` tionthe adjacent ends of the handle portion 33 and grip portion 36 arealigned, and as the portions are of the same cross-section, the innerpart of the sleeve 38 may be slid upon the handle portion 33 so that thehandle 35 is latched in extended position to extend substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the trough sections and below andin substantial co-planar alignment with the axis of the hinge 28,

The cover or pouch 43 of `cloth or related non-rigid material has thepockets 44 and 45 on the inner surface of one side 46 thereof to receivethe fork 47 and spoon 48, and preferably on this same side the connector49 is attached to the outer surface by means of the attaching clothkeeper 50 sewed to such side 46 to provide a journal for such connector49. In turn the connector, as is well known, may be attached to a webbelt, as the conventional web belt worn by troops, by engagement of theconnector ends in spaced apart eyelets in the web belt.

On the opposite side 51 from the side 46 a scabbard or pocket 52 isprovided on the outer surface to receive the knife 53 therein, the strap54 being provided to latch at 55 to retain the knife against being lost.

The flaps 56 are provided as extensions of the sides 57 and these flapsare folded over on the top of the canteen 11 before the top 57 is nextfolded over these llaps to be latched by means of the snaps 58, 58' tocompletely enclose the assembled mess-kit units to exclude substances asgrit therefrom.

As shown in Figs. 3 and l0, there may be provided the additional featureof trough section separation into food compartments to receive dilerentkinds of foods. To this end the ends of a division strip 59 t betweenbeads 60 at opposite ends of a trough section 26 and such strip 59 has aslot 61 therein centrally and upwardly to receive thereover a strip 62which has a slot 63 therein centrally and downwardly to receivethereunder the strip 59. Lugs 64 disposed as shown in Fig. 3, areprovided to retain the ends of the strip 62 against sidewarddisplacement. When the meal is nished the strips are lifted from thetrough section 26 and disconnected from each other and the strip 62 isplaced flat in the trough with ends to extend below the lugs 64, and thestrip 59 is placed flat in the trough across the strip 62 with ends toextend below the beads 60. In this manner the partition strips areretained against rattling when the can 11 is assembled about the canteenand cup.

In addition to the other advantages obtained by the construction of theitems to be assembled as a unitary combat mess-kit, a distinct advantageof insulation is obtained through the enclosure of the canteen withinthe pan or can 11. Because `of the insulative air space between pan andcanteen liquid as water in the canteen will be kept cooler, and liquidas coffee in the canteen will be kept warmer.

Having described the construction of the parts and their assembly into aunitary combat mess-kit, detail may be given to the obvious advantagesof operation. The knife 53 is accessible as a weapon simply byunstrapping the keeper strap 54 and removing it from the scabbard 52.Such a knife may be constructed for employment as a weapon and is alsoemployable to cut food and is far more accessible for this purpose thanwhen carried in a pack inside the assembly of meat can and lid. Thespoon 48 and knife 47 are also readily accessible by unsnapping the top57 of the pouchaud removing these utensils. If it may be desirable todrink from the water in the canteen 12, it is only necessary to unsnapthe pouch cover or top 57', lift the assembled canteen, cup, and meatpan from the pouch, and unscrew the cap 23, without disturbing theassembly surrounding the canteen. At meal time the meat pan 11 can beremoved from around the canteen 12 simply by disconnecting the keeperband or spring 32 from its connection at one end to a trough section 26,and then extending the handle to the full line position shown at Fig. 3as hereinabove described. There is thus provided a firmly held pair oftrough sections for the receipt of food with greatly minimized chancesof spillage. The strips 59 and 62 may then be raised whencompartmentation of a trough section is desired.

Although the spoon 48 and fork 47 have been shown within the side 46,this is an optional construction, and a preference might exist wherebythese articles may be in pockets 44 and 45l constructed on the inside ofside 51.

For purposes of sanitation one of the pans 26 may be constructed, whenin folded position, to extend slightly into, and wedge within the otherpan 26. Optionally small upstanding anges may be provided within onearcuate pan section 29 to` extend above the top of the pan and iitwithin the other pan to provide a tightly wedged together interiittingof pan sections when the pans are folded to enclose thc canteen 12. Inthis manner any grit or foreign matter may be excluded from the spacewithin the folded pans. Additionally, to exclude water from the canteenrunning down within the pan sections, rubber washer means may beprovided for the iianges 30.

For further sanitation, a small can of soluble disinfectant tablets, aslysol, may be provided to tit within one of the article pockets, as thecan 63 indicated in Fig. 8 within the spoon pocket 45. Just prior to-each use a tablet may be dissolved in water within the pans 26 andcanteen cup i6 to sterilize these articles and also the utensil articleswashed therein to avoid against dysentery, the scourge of troops in theiield.

Broadly this invention revolutionizes present combat mess-kit carriageand gains benefitsI of space saving, unitization, accessibility, utensilimprovement, and volume increase thereby, without substantiallyincreasing the bulk of the combat mess-kit now to be carried in a singlepackage on the web belts of troops.

It is obvious that variations and modifications of structure will fallwithin the spirit of this invention and within the scope of the appendedclaims, and claim is made to such variations and modifications inaccordance with the broad interpretation merited for such claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A unitary combat mess-kit including a canteen having a capped neck, afood pan comprising two trough sections hingedly connected at adjacentends and receiving said canteen therein when folded with upper troughedges in contact and having arcuately indented flanges on the uppersurfaces of the opposite ends complementarily fitting around saidcanteen neck below said cap, latch means extending around said tiangesand releasably latching said trough sections about said neck, and ahandle including a part connected to a trough section and another partpivotally connected to said trough connected part, means latching saidhandle for use in extended position substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said trough sections, and means including saidextended position latching means to latch said other part in foldedposition against a side of a trough section when said handle is not inuse.

2. A unitary combat mess-kit comprising a canteen having a capped neck,a cup larger in each dimension in horizontal cross-section than thelower part of said canteen and at the bottom than the bottom of saidcanteen and having the lower part of said canteen disposed in said cupto bottom on said cup bottom, and a hinged sectioned food pan with thehinge and hinge connected portions thereof being disposed below said cupbottom and with said pan larger in each dimension incomplementaryhorizontal cross-section of said sections than said cup andthan said canteen thereabove including said neck and at the bottom thansaid cup bottom, said mess-kit including means releasably connectingsaid sections around said neck, and a handle including a part connectedto a trough section and another part pivotally connected to said troughconnected part, means latching said handle for use in extended positionsubstantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said troughsections, and means including said extended position latching means tolatch said other part in folded position against a side of a troughsection when said handle is not in use.

3. A unitary combat mess-kit comprising a canteen having a capped neck,a cup larger in each dimension in horizontal cross-section than thelower part of said canteen and at the bottom than the bottom of saidcanteen and having the lower part of said canteen disposed in said cupto bottom on said cup bottom, and a food pan comprising two troughsections hingedly connected at adjacent ends and with the hinge andhinge connected portions thereof being disposed below said cup bottomand with said pan larger in each* dimension in complementary horizontalcross-section of said sections than said cup and than said canteenthereabove including said neck and at the bottom than said cup bottom,said mess-kit including means releasably connecting the opposite ends ofsaid sections around said neck, with edges in contact and meansconnecting said cap to said canteen and extendable between said edges,and a (handle including a part connected to a trough section and anotherpart pivotally connected to said trough connected part, means latchingsaid handle for use in extended position substantially perpendicular tothe longitudinal axis of said trough sections, and means including saidextended position latching means to latch said other part in foldedposition against a side of a trough section when said handle is not inuse.

4. A unitary combat mess-kit including a canteen having a capped neckand a hinged section food pan with the hinge and hinge connectedportions thereof being disposed below the bottom of said canteen andwith said pan larger in each dimension in complementary horizontalcross-section of said sections than said canteen including said neckbelow said cap and at the bottom than Ithe bottom of said canteen, saidmess-kit including means releasably connecting said sections around saidneck, and a handle including a part connected to a trough section andanother part pivotally connected to said trough connected part, meanslatching said handle for use in extended position and substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said trough sections, andmeans including said extended position latching means to latch saidother part in folded position against a side of a trough section whensaid handle is not in use.

5. `A unitary combat mess-kit including a canteen having a capped neckand a hinged section food pan with the hinge andl hinge connectedportions being disposed below the bottom of said canteen and with saidpan larger in each Idimension in complementary horizontal crosssectionof said sections than said canteen including said neck below said capand at the bottom than the bottom of said canteen, said mess-kitincluding means releasably connecting said sections around said neck, ahandle including a part connected to a trough section and another partpivotally connected to said trough connected part, means latching saidhandle for use in extended position substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said trough sections, and means including saidextended position latching means to latch said other part in foldedposition against a side of a trough section when said handie is not inuse, and a utensil providing pouch latchably enclosing said canteen andmeans releasably connecting said pouch to a belt.

6. A unitary combat mess-kit including a canteen having a capped neckand a hinged section food pan with the hinge and hinge connectedportions being disposed below the bottom of said canteen and larger ineach dimension in complementary horizontal cross-section of saidsections than said canteen including said neck below said cap and at thebottom than the bottom of said canteen, said mess-kit including meansreleasably connecting said sections around said neck, and a handleincluding a part connected to a trough section and another partpivotally connected -to said trough connected part, means latching saidhandle for use in extended position substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said trough sections, and means including saidextended position latching means to latch said other part in foldedposition against a side of a trough section when said handle is not inuse, and strips in at least one section and to upstand from the bottomthereof, said strips being substantially perpendicularly interiittablewhereby said section is divided into compartments, said at least onesection having means therein retaining said strips against movement.

7. A unitary combat mess-kit comprising a canteen having a capped neck,a cup larger in each dimension in horizontal cross-section than thelower part of said canteen and at the bottom than the bottom of saidcanteen and having the lower part of said canteen disposed in said cupto bottom on said cup bottom, and a food pan comprising two troughsections hingedly connected at adjacent ends with the hinge and hingeconnected portions thereof disposed below said cup bottom and with saidpan larger in each dimension in complementary horizontal cross-sectionof said sections than said cup and than said canteen thereaboveincluding said neck and at the bottom than said cup bottom, saidmess-kit including means releasably connecting the opposite ends of saidsections around said neck, with a close edge contact tit and bearingagainst sai-d opposite ends and also means tightly surrounding said neckwhereby water is excluded from the interior of said sections, and ahandle including a part connected to a trough section and another partpivotally connected to said trough connected part, means latching saidhandle for use in extended position substantially perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said trough sections, and means including saidextended position latching means to latch said other part in foldedposition against a side of a trough section when said handle is not inuse.

8. A unitary combat mess-'kit including a canteen having a capped neckand a food pan comprising two trough sections hingedly connected atadjacent ends with hinge below the bottom of said canteen and larger ineach dimension in complementary horizontal cross-section of said troughsections than said canteen including said neck below said cap and at thebottom than the bottom of said canteen, said mess-kit including meansreleasably connecting said trough sections around said neck, a handleincluding a portion rigidly connected to the adjacent end of one troughsection, a grip portion pivotally connected thereto and foldable along aside of a trough section, and a sleeve slidable over said pivot and theadjacent ends of said portions to latch said portions together with gripextending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of saidtrough sections, and means latching said sleeve and said grip portionwhen folded to the side of at least one of said trough sections.

9. A unitary combat mess-kit including a canteen having a capped neckand a food pan comprising two trough sections hingedly `connected atadjacent ends with hinge below the bottom of said canteen and larger ineach dimension in complementary horizontal cross-section of said troughsections than said canteen including said neck below said cap and at thebottom than the bottom of said canteen, the opposite ends of said troughsections having indented anges on the inner surfaces thereofcomplementarily fitting around said canteen neck below said cap and saidmess-kit providing latch means extending around said flanges andreleasably latching said trough sections together about said neck therebeing a handle including a part connected to a trough section andanother part pivotally connected to said trough connected part, meanslatching said handle for use in extended position sub- 55 stantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said trough sections, andmeans including said extended position latching means to latch saidother part in folded position against a side of a trough section whensaid handle is not in use.

10. A unitary combat mess-kit including a canteen having a capped neck,a food pan comprising two trough sections hingedly connected at adjacentends and at opposite ends complementarily and releasably fitted aroundthe neck of said canteen below said cap, a handle including a portionrigidly connected to the adjacent end of one trough section, a gripportion pivotally foldable against the side of said trough section whensaid handle is not in use and latch means on said grip portion when itis thus folded and engageable with said trough connected portion tolatch said portions to extend coaxially and perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said trough sections when the handle is in use.

11. A unitary combat mess-kit comprising a canteen having a capped neck,a cup larger in each dimension `in horizontal cross-section than thelower part of said canteen and larger at the bottom than the bottom ofsaid canteen and having the lower part of said canteen disposed in saidcup to bottom on the bottom of said cup, and a food pan comprising twotrough sections hingedly connected at adjacent ends with the hinge andhinge connected portions thereof disposed below said cup bottom and withsaid pan larger in complementary horizontal cross-section of saidsections than said cup and than said canteen thereabove including saidneck and at the bottom than said cup bottom, said mess-kit includingmeans releasably connecting the opposite ends of said sections aroundsaid neck, and a -handle including a part connected to a trough sectionand another part pivotally connected to said trough connected part,means latching said handle for use in extended position substantiallyperpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said trough sections, andmeans including said extended position latching means to latch saidother part in folded position against a side of a trough section whensaid handle is not in use.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS163,359 Chambers May 18, 1875 366,907 Williams July 19, 1887 555,882Preston Mar. 3, 1896 655,530 Vossbeck Aug. 7, 1900 699,697 Missotten May13, 1902 715,399 Low Dec. 9, 1902 1,373,155 Tebbetts Mar. 29, 19211,458,679 Bishop June 12, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 417,403 France Aug, 30,1910 224,413 Great Britain Nov. 13, 1924

